The Other Hero
by The-Other-Antihero
Summary: A sorta rewrite of Harry Potter with the addition of a rather troubled young man called Jason storm, yeah he kinda steals some of Harry's importance but Harry's still the one to defeat the dark lord and all that jazz.
1. Chapter 1 So I'm A Wizard?

The Other Hero By The-Other-Antihero 

Authors note:

The story we about to embark on is not your average fanfiction. It is a telling of events that would have occurred if the Dark Lord had made other decisions before that fateful night decisions that would change the plot dramatically. Because of this the tale shall not quite be the one in print and film, the one we all love and adore, but a twisted, mangled, placed in a room devoid of all light version that I sincerely hope you might enjoy at least half as much as the original.

It will still have the same cast; heroic Harry, head strong Hermione, and the red headed lad with all the brothers, but there are some additions. You will learn about them in time. The main and most important new character is a boy by the name of Jason Storm, who is the soul reason for this hasty scribble of a fanfic, for his story needs to be told.

The story of The Other Hero.

I do hope you enjoy.

Chapter One: So, I'm a wizard?

I shall begin this story at a place we all can identify; a small shabby shack in the middle of an island surrounded by storm ruffled waters. A man who could have been several men held a bent rifle, a pudgy blonde boy grasped his newly acquired pigs tail in frightened fingers, and the Boy Who Lived finally got his letter and read it with amazement and hope.

The emerald green ink shone and boasted his name from the strange textured paper, possibilities that had been released with the opening of the envelope flapped through the brisk air of time, Harry wondered which one was meant for him.

What you didn't know was at the same exact time approximately 35 miles away in a grubby little room sat another young boy who is as important in the plot of the battle between the Dark Lord and the infamous Harry Potter as teeth to a mouse, although no one would ever have guessed.

The boy had dark features; deep brown eyes and hair to match, and a slightly haunted look about him as if forever ready for a beating.

His tongue licked lips that were as dry as the crisp parchment in his hand. He slowly reread the green words that he may just-and only just- dare to spark hope within his suspicious mind.

He looked again at the silver haired man who sat patiently, hands clasped, in front of him. His kind face displayed a subtle look of de ja vu. The boy took a last hopeless glance at the green pointed hat being rotated in the mans hands and said rather reluctantly for fear of disappointment:

"So I'm a wizard?"

The man looked into his eyes "Yes, Jason, you are"

"Which is why…"

"Which is why your caregivers wig turned into a rat"

Jason managed to hold back his grin and skimmed over his letter again

"So when do we leave?"

Dumbledore waited outside the boy's room, he distantly heard the sounds of hurried packing coming from within it. He peered down the empty hallway; it was eerily quiet for an orphanage full of young children. His mind drifted back to memories from years ago…

The orphanage he remembered had been shabby, but neat none the less.

But now…whoever had taken over had obviously given up on keeping it in order. Paint curled off of the walls and the carpet ended at least half a meter before it would meet the wall, with only the odd frayed thread to show that they had been connected many years before. A small child of indefinite gender poked it's head out from a door frame, a hand reached around to grab the edge for balance, a dirty rag of a bear dangled from the child's fingers. The child looked traumatised. A shiver went up the old wizards spine as he remembered his last visit to this orphanage.

Jason fitted the last of his possessions into his suitcase; they barely filled half of it. As usual, his mind was quickly analysing the likelihood that this would all end in a visit by a fist belonging to Brian Obituary, another prisoner of the orphanage named after the part of the newspaper he was found wrapped in as a baby. The irony had never been lost of Jason, who was sure the odds that Brian had sent a few people into the obituaries himself were very high, despite the fact that the boy was only fourteen years old.

Jason himself was only eleven, but growing up in a run down orphanage had forced him to mature early. He reasoned that the man waiting outside was probably some deluded old lunatic, or perhaps a kidnapper or a guy being paid off by Brian to 'get rid of him'. But still, anything was better than staying at the orphanage, and maybe just maybe there really was a Hogwarts. Best not to get too hopeful though.

Jason grabbed his luggage and went to open the door; he didn't bother to look back at what had been his bedroom for his entire life. He'd rather forget.

Minutes later, Dumbledore and Jason stepped out into the night. Both with a feeling that all this would turn into something big…

They arrived at the Leaky Cauldron later that night.


	2. Chapter 2 The Train

Chapter two: The Train 

**September 1****st**

**Kings Cross station, London**

Platform 9 ¾ 

Jason pushed his trolley through the crowded platform. Who would have thought that running through a brick wall would result in a scene like this? He couldn't keep his eyes off of the magnificent train, a scarlet caterpillar ready to take him to his future. He stared in awe at wands, brooms, floating luggage! Until now he hadn't completely believed that he was actually getting away from the harsh orphanage and actually going to live in a castle in the countryside…it couldn't be true, these sorts of things didn't happen to people like him. Getting caught in the middle of shoplifting happened to people like him, not being sent away to magic school. He kept waiting to wake up in his musty old bed back in the orphanage.

He continued to find his way through the crowd, feeling strangely small and unnoticeable sort of…unknown. He liked it. Back home he had always been the weird loner kid, but here no body knew him. A fresh start perhaps?

"Board the train! Board the train! Get on the flippin' thing ye little vermin!"

A grouchy haggy voice boomed out from a short man waving a bell, a pointy blonde boy nearby sneered at disgust at the man. The boy turned, his eyes met with Jason's. They glared at each other for a fraction of a second, the boys piercing blue eyes narrowed before he averted his them and shook his head at the ugly man again, as if thinking about all the scum he had to associate with.

Jason sighed, he seemed to have already made an enemy, and he hadn't even made it to school yet. Oh well, what else was new?

He turned to take his suitcase off his trolley, and was surprised to find a rather out of breath toad staring back at him. Mouth opened in surprise, he reached out a hand to grab the toad- just as it leaped through the air in an amazing feat right smack onto his head.

"Trevor!" A shrill cry met Jason's ears just before another boy ploughed straight into him.

"Bloody heck!" Jason gasped; the wind had been knocked right out of him.

"Sorry…" the boy rolled off him and sat up "Did you see where he went?"

"Who?"

"My Toad!"

Jason pulled himself off the ground "sorry, I sort of lost track of him while you were tackling me" he offered a hand to the fallen boy, who took it and heaved himself off the ground and blushed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hit you. I was just trying to get my frog-"

"Toad"

"Yes that. I mean him. My name's Neville by the way, Neville Longbottom"

"Oh, good to know" Jason shook Neville's hand hesitantly. He seemed to be waiting for something.

"Oh right, I'm Jason"

Neville's red face broke into a smile "Jason, I'll try to remember that. I should go find Trevor I guess, see you at school!"

The boy jogged off in search of his runaway pet.

One enemy, one friend. Not bad for a first day.

Jason grabbed his suitcase and fought his way to the train steps. He found an empty compartment and sat down, thinking of what was to come.

A few minutes later a boy with dark hair and round glasses poked his head around the door and asked if he could sit down. Soon after that a boy with flaming hair joined them, he seemed rather excited to meet the dark haired lad with the mysterious lightening bolt scar on his head. What was his name? Right, Harry Potter.

And to everyone, he would be Jason Storm the normal kid. No one needed to know about the orphanage.

Jason smiled into his hand and watched as he left London behind, this time he did look back. But only to give a mental finger.


	3. Chapter 3 Hogwarts, A History

Chapter Three: Hogwarts, a history 

About an hour later the three first years were still seated in the stuffy train compartment, but now they were surrounded with empty sweet packets. Jason had never tasted anything so delicious as the chocolate frogs. Even the earwax flavoured Bertie Botts every flavour bean tasted somewhat better than the average meal back at the orph-…back home.

"Oi, pass us another chocolate frog Jason? I still haven't found Agrippa…" Ron gestured lazily to the pile of sweets on the seat next to Jason.

"What happens when you get them all?" asked Jason, throwing one in the red headed boys direction, he had never fully understood why people bothered to collect such trivial things as stamps or cards. Ron snatched the frog expertly as it jumped out of his freshly opened packet, he looked thoughtful for a second as he bit the head off of the chocolate amphibian.

"Well…George said they activated some sort of spell. You're supposed to get a wish or something. I reckon it's a load of bull, they can't go handing out free wishes can they? There would be a lot more interesting stuff in the _Daily Prophet_ that's for sure"

Jason wondered what the _Daily Prophet_ was, some sort of wizarding newspaper? He had expected something more…magical than everyday ink and paper.

The compartment door suddenly flew open, gasping for breath and still pink in the face stood Neville. By the expression on his face Jason assumed he still hadn't yet found the elusive Trevor.

"Hi, um have you seen a frog around?" Neville stammered, trying to catch his breath.

"Toad, Neville. He's a toad" Jason corrected the poor boy again.

"Erm, yeah. Hey Jason. I found him before but he got away again when I was looking at Laven-" Neville blushed even harder "I-I mean when I wasn't paying attention…"

Ron had been looking at Neville strangely, as if trying to work something out. His freckled face suddenly split into a grin "You're Neville Longbottom aren't you?"

Neville nodded and chewed his bottom lip, his face was still as red as Ron's hair. Ron punched the air in triumph "I _knew_ I knew you from somewhere! I've heard about you. You're supposed to be really stu-"

Thankfully Harry's foot didn't have to connect with Ron's shin to shut him up as just in that second a loud scream issued from a compartment a few doors down, followed by many high pitched yells of "EW! A toad!" and "Get away from me warty!" Neville took a few moments to realise.

"That must be Trevor!" He spluttered and ran out of the room in search of his toad. Jason stood up and shut the door, muting the echoing cries of the girls.

Ron looked at Harry whose foot was still a centre metre from his shin.

"Well he is a bit thick isn't he?"

"Look who's talking" Jason laughed and collapsed back into his seat, thinking how nice it was to have friends to joke with. He'd never had that before.

Later on the three boys changed into their Hogwarts robes. None of them voiced the excitement brewing in their chests; for fear that with it their nerves would be voiced also. Jason had heard Harry and Ron talking about the sorting, Ron's brother had told him it was some sort of test, but that couldn't be right could it? Jason wasn't scared of tests, he was quite good at them actually, and either way why be scared of a piece of paper? It's not like it could punch you in the face or stab you in the back. But this was magic…and despite what Jason had already learnt from his textbooks he felt rather uneducated in that area. Anyway, Dumbledore hadn't said anything about a test did he? Or did he? Damnit he should have paid more attention to what the old man had said.

The boys got off the train, a gigantic man waving a lantern greeted them. He and Harry seemed to know each other, weird. His fellow first years and him followed the man to the lake. The lake, wow! He had read about it…but he had never imagined it to be this beautiful. The moon reflected in its eerily still waters, lighting their journey across in row boats that propelled themselves as if by magic…Jason grinned to himself, would he never get used to a life where magic is as real as electricity?

Just as the cold was starting to get to them, the first years arrived at the castle.

_Wow…_thought Jason _it's so…old. And, not proud but…noble?_

He stared in wonder with everyone else as they shuffled through the gigantic wooden doors. Somewhere deep down in the inner most secret parts of his heart, a hole was filled, it sounded strangely like…_home_.


	4. Chapter 4 The Sorting

Chapter Four: The Sorting

Chapter Four: The Sorting 

"Gather round, gather round the sorting will now begin!" Professor McGonagall, a strict lady who Jason had learnt taught Transfiguration (Which he couldn't wait to start) led the first years up through the Great Hall between two sets of two tables, all filled with bustling students staring at the new arrivals, some were pointing at Harry and whispering to their friends.

"Here's how the sorting will occur" Professor McGonagall continued "One by one you each will be called up, you will sit on the stool" She gestured to a three legged stool beside her, a ragged hat sat on top of it "And the sorting hat will be placed on your head, after you have been sorted you shall go to your new house table and join your new family"

_Wait, what? Did I miss something? _Jason looked around in despair; she didn't say what would happen when you put on the hat! Did you have to have a mind battle with it or something?

Suddenly everyone was staring at the hat, the older students rather expectantly. To Jason's surprise the rip in the hat started to open, as if it was about to…

_Oh you may not think me pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be._

You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin,  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

…Say something. 

"So we just put on an old hat? I'm going to _kill _George!" Jason heard Ron muttering to Harry beside him. Jason personally wasn't sure whether he should be relieved or not. He was glad that he didn't have to make a fool of himself by attempting magic, but if it was a judgement of his character…maybe he would have been better off with a mind battle after all. He wasn't exactly the most charming young man. Which house would he be placed in? Gryffindor sounded good, especially because Ron was bound to be in it like all his brothers. But was Jason really all that brave? He had faced many frightening things in his life. He didn't scare easily. But being familiar with danger was hardly the same as bravery. Deep down, Jason sensed he may be better suited to saluting a serpent. He had heard Ron talking about all the dark wizards who had come out of Slytherin, he had sounded like he hated the lot of them too. If the hat really could see everything inside your head…well there had to be a reason why people seemed to be repelled by him back home.

Jason glanced sidewards at his new friends as Professor McGonagell began to read out names. Ron would be in Gryffindor with the rest of his family no doubt, and Harry…well people kept whispering stuff about him and some dark wizard being defeated, probably by Harry's parents. Nah, Jason couldn't see Harry being in Slytherin. Neville? No…Neville was clumsy, not evil.

As the names crept closer to S, dread clawed up and up his insides, threatening to choke him. He did not like the prospect of putting on that hat and losing the only two friends he'd ever had, and finding out that yes indeed, he was a pathetic reject didn't sound too appealing either.

"Longbottom, Neville" Jason watched Neville amble his way through the crowd of first years and fall over, much to the amusement of the pointy blonde boy Jason had seen earlier. Professor McGonagalls frown deepened as she watched the clumsy boy sit on the three legged stool, she placed the hat on his head and waited. It took slightly longer than previous students but sure enough the rip opened and the hat shouted:

"Gryffindor!"

The applause wasn't particularly enthusiastic from the scarlet table as Neville joined them. Jason wished it was he who was running off to join Gryffindor, even if he did forget to take off the hat like Neville did.

Draco Malfoy was the next name to be called, the pointy blonde boy sneered at the first years still yet to be sorted and strode up to the pointy headgear. The hat was only on his head for a fraction of a second before it sent Draco to the Slytherin table. 

_Oh great, if I'm even half as big a git as him I'm bound to be in Slytherin._

Jason's hope sand even lower, even Hufflepuff would be better than several years of Malfoy's superior sneer.

Several other students were sorted, and then it was Harry's turn. Jason heard his friend gulp and breathe deeply before setting off on the straight path to his sorting. The whispering increased dramatically. What the hell was the deal with Harry? People were so…interested in him.

"Show us your scar potty!" one cocky student yelled out, causing nervous sniggering to ripple through the Slytherin table.

McGonagall threw a terrifying glare at the student in question and his house mates. Hogwarts went quiet. She turned and picked up the hat, giving Harry the tiniest of smiles before placing it on his anxious head.

The hat sat snuggled around his cranium for quite a while. Harry's eyes were squeezed shut behind his glasses, his lips mouthing something…

The hat stiffened, the rip opened and

"Not Slytherin eh? Better be…GRYFFINDOR!" 

A magnificent roar erupted from the scarlet table, two red headed Jason assumed to be Ron's infamous twin brothers began banging their hands on the table and chanting "WE GOT POTTER! WE GOT POTTER!" Over and over again.

Jason on the other hand hadn't taken his eyes off of the parchment containing the names of the first years. P wasn't very far from S, not very far at all…

Sure enough McGonagall hushed the school yet again with another of her cold glares and turned back to her list of names. She found her place,

"Storm, Jason"

It was just another name for her, but for Jason it was the sound of the last of his hope falling down his bottomless pit of a stomach.

Later on as he would recall the events leading up to his sorting, Jason would describe it as walking on air, numb from all emotions except dread and reluctance. He _really_ didn't want to do this. It was like a metaphor for his whole life, being guided by floating candles and a cliché red carpet only to be shunted into the evil fucker category.

He lowered himself onto the stool, was it just him or had the time had taken to get there gone in about three seconds? He hoped he didn't seem too eager…he didn't want people to think he _wanted_ to be in Slytherin.

He felt the rough fabric scrape his ears as the sorter was lowered onto his head. He held his breath, what happened now?

"_Well, well aren't you an interesting one…"_ A strange voice muttered inside his head.

Jason managed to stop his jaw dropping in surprise, although he reasoned, he shouldn't be to shocked; the hat did just sing a song after all. The strange thing was he had a feeling he was the only one that could hear the voice…

"_Intelligent…very intelligent, oh yes. Ravenclaw perhaps?"_

Jason's hands loosened, they had been clutching the sides of his seat like it was the only thing keeping him from defying gravity. A spark of hope managed to cling on to a stray root on the edge of the pit, Ravenclaw wasn't too bad.

"_Ah. So much hatred! My, my, aren't you the regular little Tom Riddle?"_

Jason wondered who the heck Tom Riddle was, didn't sound like much of a happy chap. His fingers tensed again, the root began to break. Ravenclaw really didn't sound too bad after all.

"_Such…potential. Power…my you would do well in any house. But where to put you…"_

Jason was suddenly horribly away of how long this was taking, people were starting to look at him funny. He didn't particularly care, but what if it took so long they decided to just send him back to London? He could see Neville's bright face grinning at him like a red balloon among the golden plates and black robes…he didn't want to leave. Even Slytherin was better than London.

"_You know, Slytherins do tend to go far. Imagine the possibilities if you made connections with them? I can tell your just like the last boy, why are people so insistent not to be put in Slytherin these days? That Malfoy boy was delighted when I put him in his fathers old house. Oh well, best put you with the other one- GRYFFINDOR!"_

Jason heard that last part with his ears. It took his mind a few seconds to realise, and when he finally registered he was already sitting with Neville and Harry, soon to be joined by Ron. 

It took him hours, until he was tucked up in his new dormitory listening to sleepy yawns and Neville's snoring before he could finally say;

"Well, that was unexpected."


End file.
